Gilboa Sets Permit Fee For Oasis Project at Camp Oorah

GILBOA – Gilboa Town Board members set the building permit fee for a large-scale construction project at Camp Oorah, discussed road issues and heard a report regarding a recent meeting of county, town and local fire and EMS officials during their regular meeting Monday night.

Shimun Rosenberg and Eric Sprie were present as representatives of the construction company proposing construction of the Oasis, a 65,000 square foot building project at the Girlz Zone on South Gilboa Road in the town of Gilboa. For any project exceeding $1 million in cost value, the permit fee must be negotiated with the town board.

Supervisor Alicia Terry questioned differences between the engineering plans and those submitted to the county Capital Resources Committee for tax exempt bond financing. The project budget in that application is listed at $19.3 million. Rosenberg indicated the figure presented may include other recent projects. The project proposes 32 units, with a three story structure in the center and two two-story wings. 

The construction is being done to replace the buildings destroyed by a second fire at the camp that he said destroyed 30 units. The replacement units, which are in a different location, will be larger and nicer than the original units.  He said they are intended for staff or campers, and it is not an expansion.

Supervisor Terry then questioned that they propose to create more jobs and the increase of 13 employees. 

"We are asking questions in the interest to understand the entirety of this project. The CRC application and the building permit have cost differences. Soft costs, such as furnishings, do not require a building permit. and according to Rosenberg, may be where the differences lie.

Supervisor Terry said the town was proposing 75 cents per square foot or $48,750, which was determined by averaging the permit fees gathered from around the state. Rosenberg said he was looking at the current fee schedule where projects less than $1 million were charged $342 up to $500,000 and $1.50 for each additional $1,000 in construction value above the $500,000, which would be $15,192.

Supervisor Terry said the town was trying to balance what is happening and where a typical project would start. He argued that outside of New York City they don't run into those kinds of fees. He said they will need to do third party inspections so they do not tie up the town code enforcement officer. "We are willing to work with you so that we don't bog down your system," he said.

His formula was valued at 23 cents per square foot. 

They settled on 25 cents per square foot or $16,250 based on the $10 million cost. However, a later motion was made to amend the original motion to say that anything that exceeds the $10 million in construction costs will cost an additional amount.

Supervisor Terry explained that camp operations exceed existing services, such as volunteer fire and EMS. There have been two major fires at the girls camp.

Bill Sharick was present to give a report on a recent meeting that included Delaware and Schoharie County emergency services officials, dispatch officials, coordinators and local town, fire and EMS to discuss response and communications for first responders across county lines. "I think the meeting produced a lot of awareness for what is involved in fire and EMS response," said Sharick, a firefighter and fire commissioner with the Stamford Fire Department. "We had coordinators from both counties and there was a good understanding that as our cell and phone coverage gets better, along with newer software  they will be able to locate where the caller is located and dispatch will get better."

He said it also provided awareness of the problems with hiring, training and retaining employees who are good dispatchers.

Supervisor Terry said a similar meeting is proposed for the town of Jefferson that involves fire dispatch and response across county lines.

With the town of Gilboa one of the hardest hit by recent flash flooding, the closure of South Gilboa Road (County Route 14) and damage to town roads did delay paving projects for three days. The severe weather dumped two to four inches of rain and even higher amounts in the area of South Gilboa Road and Blenheim Hill Road.

South Gilboa Road remains closed to traffic due to a washout from Whispering Pines Drive to state Route 30. In her report, Supervisor Terry said a finalized plan for repair by the county will not be done until July 18. She has been invited to do a walk through of the damage along with other officials. The road was reconstructed after a major washout previously and has washed out in the same area again.

On a good note, Supervisor Terry reported the town has received grant funding to cover the cost of bussing the children to Mine Kill State Park for the summer youth program this summer. The town has also received an additional amount from the New York Power Authority for its licensing in the amount of $275,000.

In other business: Board members denied a request from Platterkill Gravel to exchange materials; Town Clerk Linda Wyckoff reported on a recent conference for town tax collections and  there will more in the future about the use of artificial intelligence; a motion was passed to allow sexual harassment training to count toward the required training for planning board members.